Hi mates. Until now I was under the impression that Staff of Focus did not work in conjunction with Everblaze Comet because of the Designer´s Commentary on Malign Sorcery. Here is some reference to begin with:
Staff of Focus:
" [...] Once per battle, in your hero phase, the bearer can use this artefact. If they do so, add 1 to casting rolls for the bearer until the end of that phase. In addition, if the bearer casts a spell that inflicts any mortal wounds during that phase, add 1 to the number of mortal wounds inflicted on each unit that the spell affects."
(Stormcast Eternals Battletome 2018, page 121)
Everblaze Comet:
"[...] After this model is set up, roll a dice for each unit within 10" of this model. On a 1-2, that unit suffers 1 mortal wound. On a 3-4, that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds. On a 5-6, that unit suffers 3 mortal wounds [...]"
"Q: If a Wizard has an ability that increases the number of mortal wounds inflicted by the spells they cast, does this ability also apply to the abilities of any endless spells that the wizard casts? A: No."
Since there is a pretty loose definition of the term "ability" in AoS, the Staff of Focus and Everblaze Comet stopped working together after the aforementioned Erratum. Or at least that is what I perceived in the community and on tournaments. If I am dead wrong right here, this thread could still be of some interest for other rules interactions we may struggle with. While answering a completely different rules question, I stumbled over the following FAQ text. Please remember that the content of this question has no connection with the Staff/Comet problem, but it points us towards a stricter definition of the term "ability". Here is comes:
"Q: If several abilities are triggered at the same time (at the start of a hero phase, for example), how do you determine the order in which they are used? A: If several abilities can be used at the same time, the player whose turn is taking place uses their abilities first, one after the other, in any order they desire; then the player whose turn is not taking place uses their abilities, one after another, in any order they desire. The same principle applies to any other things – such as command traits or artefacts of power – that can be used simultaneously."
I bolded and underlined the important part, The question is about "abilities" in particular. After the answer itself its content is then extended to apply to "any other things" as well - so things that are expressly not abilities. Regarding the Comet/Staff problem, artefacts of power are explicitly named as a "non-ability-thing". Therefore the Staff of Focus enhances the Everblaze Comet after all.
I would like to go into a broader discussion about the implications of this random finding of mine - but I really have to get some sleep at this point. I just hope we can look at this together and work out on which parts of AoS this upgraded definition of "ability" might have an effect. I remember having some discussion in the near past with, among others, @amysrevenge on the topic of what exactly an "ability" is. I hope some of you will be interested and invested in this topic and I am looking forward to tomorrow.
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Isotop
Hi mates. Until now I was under the impression that Staff of Focus did not work in conjunction with Everblaze Comet because of the Designer´s Commentary on Malign Sorcery. Here is some reference to begin with:
Staff of Focus:
" [...] Once per battle, in your hero phase, the bearer can use this artefact. If they do so, add 1 to casting rolls for the bearer until the end of that phase. In addition, if the bearer casts a spell that inflicts any mortal wounds during that phase, add 1 to the number of mortal wounds inflicted on each unit that the spell affects."
(Stormcast Eternals Battletome 2018, page 121)
Everblaze Comet:
"[...] After this model is set up, roll a dice for each unit within 10" of this model. On a 1-2, that unit suffers 1 mortal wound. On a 3-4, that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds. On a 5-6, that unit suffers 3 mortal wounds [...]"
(https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/Downloads//ENG_Stormcast_Everblaze_Comet.pdf)
Designer´s Commentary:
"Q: If a Wizard has an ability that increases the number of mortal wounds inflicted by the spells they cast, does this ability also apply to the abilities of any endless spells that the wizard casts? A: No."
(https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/age_of_sigmar_malign_sorcery_designers_commmentary_en.pdf)
Since there is a pretty loose definition of the term "ability" in AoS, the Staff of Focus and Everblaze Comet stopped working together after the aforementioned Erratum. Or at least that is what I perceived in the community and on tournaments. If I am dead wrong right here, this thread could still be of some interest for other rules interactions we may struggle with. While answering a completely different rules question, I stumbled over the following FAQ text. Please remember that the content of this question has no connection with the Staff/Comet problem, but it points us towards a stricter definition of the term "ability". Here is comes:
"Q: If several abilities are triggered at the same time (at the start of a hero phase, for example), how do you determine the order in which they are used? A: If several abilities can be used at the same time, the player whose turn is taking place uses their abilities first, one after the other, in any order they desire; then the player whose turn is not taking place uses their abilities, one after another, in any order they desire. The same principle applies to any other things – such as command traits or artefacts of power – that can be used simultaneously."
(https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Core-Rules-and-Bases-Sizes-EN.pdf, page 7, emphasis mine)
I bolded and underlined the important part, The question is about "abilities" in particular. After the answer itself its content is then extended to apply to "any other things" as well - so things that are expressly not abilities. Regarding the Comet/Staff problem, artefacts of power are explicitly named as a "non-ability-thing". Therefore the Staff of Focus enhances the Everblaze Comet after all.
I would like to go into a broader discussion about the implications of this random finding of mine - but I really have to get some sleep at this point. I just hope we can look at this together and work out on which parts of AoS this upgraded definition of "ability" might have an effect. I remember having some discussion in the near past with, among others, @amysrevenge on the topic of what exactly an "ability" is. I hope some of you will be interested and invested in this topic and I am looking forward to tomorrow.
Good Night!
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